Sunny Coast sell-out shows demand in Queensland

The idyllic Sunshine Coast region in Queensland is usually recommended for its beaches, lifestyle, and, in more recent times… basketball.

With the game booming domestically, it’s fitting that the second leg of the upcoming AUS v NZL Trans-Tasman Throwdown will run through the Sunny Coast.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the local interest in the Trans-Tasman games clearly demonstrated the commitment of the community to elite sport and basketball.

“Watching the Boomers play the Tall Blacks and the Opals play the Tall Ferns live was an exciting opportunity that our residents obviously thought was too good to miss,” said Mayor Natoli.

“Collaborating with Basketball Australia to host one of the series events was an excellent chance to highlight our existing facilities and demonstrate our ability to host high-profile events.

“The early sell-out also signals just how popular basketball is in our region.”

The region has a rich basketball history growing from grassroots level to a development hub of elite talent. Some of the notable names include Brad Newley, Brad Williamson, Jae Kingi-Cross and current Brisbane Bullets star Rocco Zikarsky.

In the not-so-distant future, the Sunshine Coast will play host to the best basketball players and nations in the world with the Brisbane 2032 Olympics providing an opportunity to amplify investment into infrastructure and shortage in court capacity. A report delivered by Solucio to Basketball Queensland in March 2025 indicated that there is currently a shortfall of 17 courts on the Sunshine Coast to meet participation demand with around 200 junior and senior players waiting on shortlists.

The shortage is reflected across all regions of Queensland and Joshua Pascoe, Chief Executive Officer of Basketball Queensland spoke to the impact and importance of a positive outcome in the imminent 100-day review from the Government.

“The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games legacy infrastructure is a crucial piece of the puzzle to ensuring that Queenslanders continue to get the best opportunity to represent their country on the biggest stages and show the world what Queenslanders can do,” said Pascoe.

“Opportunities to witness the Trans-Tasman series will inspire many of our junior basketballers to strive to put on the Green and Gold,"

“With a current statewide court shortage of over 220 courts and waiting lists of over 10,000 children we can only hope that the next Opal or Boomer from Queensland isn't sitting at home unable to access our sport.”

Five legacy projects have been outlined for development, including a 12-court expansion of the Sunshine Coast Indoor Stadium and a new 11-court facility Moreton Bay Indoor Stadium. In other areas of Queensland, a 10-court facility is proposed with the Chandler Indoor Stadium, nine courts at Logan Indoor Stadium, and a new state of the art indoor sports centre in Brisbane.

A deliverance of outcomes of the 100-day submission to the Queensland Government for the 2032 Olympics will be released this week.

‍Basketball on the Sunshine Coast

Basketball took off in the region throughout the 1970s, driven by passionate local associations and athletes who have gone on to represent Australia at professional and international levels.

Over the years the Maroochydore Amateur Basketball Association emerged as a cornerstone of the game in the area with the association eventually transforming into the Suncoast Clippers in 1996. 

The University of the Sunshine Coast Basketball Association (USCBA) was formed in 2008 and flourished through the early 2010s, competing in the Queensland Basketball League by 2014. By 2020 the team transitioned to the NBL1 North under the name USC Rip City but later withdrew from the league in 2023. 

Recognising the need for unity among the region’s basketball programs, Noosa Basketball, Caloundra Basketball, and Maroochydore Basketball merged in 2017 to form the Sunshine Coast Phoenix Basketball Association. The merger has assisted the region to streamline talent and strengthen the stature of Sunshine Coast basketball on a state and national level.

The region embraces its basketball heritage, as seen in 2022 when the Sunshine Coast Phoenix commemorated 50 years of competition with a special event at the Maroochydore Basketball Stadium, where players donned replica uniforms of the original Maroochydore Sea Eagles from 1986. 
 
In 2023, the Sunshine Coast had two NBL1 clubs: the Sunshine Coast Phoenix and USC Rip City. USC withdrew after the 2023 season.

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